July 11, 2014

As physical toys compete for market share against digital offerings within the larger landscape of play, toy manufacturers have one clear cut advantage: Fiddle Factor!

Toys that encourage children’s fine motor skills are said to have good “fiddle factor.” Not only is this type of manipulative play good for kids, it is irresistible to them! Being able to touch, hold, and manipulate objects is inherently satisfying. Try prying a toy out of a 3-year old’s grip!

Exercising our motor skills (both gross motor and fine motor skills) is crucial to how we wire our brains. In fact, some scientists contend that the very reason we developed brains in the first place was to be able to move!

June 16, 2014

From the moment we are born, we are driven to explore our environment and develop and test theories of cause and effect. As such, Exploration and Discovery is the original play pattern and one that crosses the gender divide. Both boys and girls engage in this play pattern which is at its peak in the infant and toddler years but which never really goes away.

With all the current emphasis on STEM careers, the toy industry can deliver big time developmental benefits—not by conveying a scientific “body of knowledge” (as in so-called science toys), but rather, by letting children exercise the very mental circuits that allow us to make scientific discoveries of any type! It’s not about content—it’s about process: Exploration and Discovery!